


Waterfall

by hornblowerfic_archivist



Category: Hornblower (TV), Hornblower - C. S. Forester
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-04
Updated: 2005-08-04
Packaged: 2018-05-21 05:38:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6040255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hornblowerfic_archivist/pseuds/hornblowerfic_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On shore leave, Jack Hammond gets lost in an Irish town... Charles Orrock takes him to his secret-place. (Slash)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waterfall

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Hornblowerfic.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Hornblowerfic.com). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in January 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [Hornblowerfic.com collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hornblowerfic/profile).

Setting : Somewhere around Loyalty. A little AU maybe, assuming I’m not sure how much time passed between their arrival aboard the Hotspur and Jack’s death…

Waterfall

“Shore leave, at last !” Styles groaned ready to bolt out of the small boat which had led them to Kenmare bay. Meanwhile, a contented smile stretching his lips, Charles Orrock gazed at the sparkling lights of his hometown, mesmerized by the warm feeling which crept in his belly. “How does it feels to be back home at last, sir ?” Matthews asked him with a friendly pat on his shoulder. “I feel… like puking.” Orrock grinned stupidly and stepped out of the boat.

“Well, well, Gentlemen ! We have the night to ourselves. Have fun but be sure to be back early in the morning !” With that, first Lt. William Bush turned his back on them and went back to his discussion with the Captain.

It took Charles a few minutes to realise he wasn’t alone as he absently walked down the streets of his beloved hometown. “Charles… I mean… Mr.Orrock… ?” someone uttered shyly behind him.

Still smiling, the young Irishman turned around to find Midshipman Jack Hammond standing in front of him with his hands clasped in his back and his head lowered. Through the darkness, Charles could see the faint blush tainting the other boy’s cheeks.

“What’s it, Mr.Hammond ?”

The formality with which he addressed him had the young brunette shifting uneasily on his long legs.

“C’mon, I haven’t got all night, y’know…” “Sorry I… it’s nothing, I’ll go back to the deck…” Discouraged, the poor thing turned on his heels and walked away.

“Ermm…” Charles cleared his throat. “Not the good way, man… you’ll get lost in the old town…” “Ohh” the other boy sighed

Calmly approaching him from behind, hands behind his back, Orrock stopped a few inches from the other’s back.

“You’re lost…” he said casually. “Absolutely not… I” “And you wanted to ask if you could follow me…” “No, I…” Jack started protesting, and from behind, Charles could see he had been right by the light blush spreading on the younger boy’s neck.

It was then that he realised how little he knew about the other midshipman, how little time he had spent with him. They hadn’t really gotten together much, with him acting like the cold blooded jerk he had been trained to be. But then, he remembered that, unlike himself, Jack could probably use the company of someone his age aboard and he felt a little guilty about his coldness. It must have been hard for that young, fragile boy to find himself surrounded by hostiles grown sailors all day long without anyone to talk to.

Decided to make it up to him, Charles gently patted him on the back and ruffled his hair, a fond smile playing upon his features.

“You look like a lost little girl, here, Jack”

Undignified, Hammond spun around, looking outraged by the comparison.

“Easy for you to feel home here ! You probably know this town like the back of your hand !” he spat.

“Yeah well, I’ve certainly known the back of my father’s many times for getting lost in the woods.” Orrock grimaced.

But suddenly, an idea made it’s way through his skull and he grinned down at the younger lad, a glint of delight in his eyes.

“Which leads me to ask you if you want to go there with me…?” “In the woods ? In the middle of the night ?”

Circling him, Orrock gently put his hands on the other’s shoulders.

“not afraid, are ye ?” he grinned “No, I’m not… Of course not…” Jack mumbled “Well, come with me and I’ll show you something”

The moon was high in the sky by the time they finally reached the area Charles had been looking for. It was a small clearing, with two big rocks resting in the middle. The grass and the leaves covering the floor had turned a light shade of blue in the moonlight and in the background; Jack could hear nothing but the relaxing humming and pounding of a waterfall.

“Where are we ?” he whispered, hovering closer to the older midshipman. “Torc waterfall” Charles answered him, his voice deep and rich compared to his earlier whinny whisper.

Mesmerized by the change in his usually cold friend’s features, Jack didn’t try to keep his eyes away. Orrock’s face was ghost pale in the moonlight and his eyes were glinting with what looked like soon-to-be-shed tears. And the sight of him like that had Jack almost reach for him, pull him into a hug and brush the tears now slowly rolling down his cheeks away.

“Mother used to take me here when I was a child… before she left, that is” he explained calmly. “after her… after she left, I found myself coming here more and more often, spending my whole days in the stream, or just listening to the soothing sound of the waterfall…”

Smiling, Charles turned his sparkling eyes to him and chuckled softly.

“Don’t look at me like that” he said “I’m not falling apart”

Smiling back, Jack held his gaze a few seconds before turning away, a blush creeping on his cheeks.

“Here” Orrock whispered, seizing Hammond’s wrist and pulling him towards the soft humming. “Let me show you”

By the time Charles finally released his wrist, Jack was panting and sweating, bent in two with his hands resting on his knees to catch his breath.

“Look up, lazy boy !” he heard that familiar Irish voice at his side.

When he did look up, he couldn’t stop a soft gasp from escaping him. “By lord”

His eyes went wide at the sight before him. There was a large pool of moonlit water spread in front of them, sparkling and dancing at their feet. Behind this pool he could see a huge waterfall surrounded by smaller ones. The atmosphere here was dream-like, almost surreal. The place was hidden from the rest of the world by big trees and rocks.

“I’ve never seen something this beautiful in my life…” Jack sighed

But when he turned around, Charles wasn’t there anymore. Instead, he found him kneeling by the pool, stripped from waist up, his hands plunged in the water.

“C’mere, Mr.Hammond”

Frowning, Jack made his way towards his fellow midshipman and bent down beside him.

“What are you doing, Charles ?” “Going to take a bath” the Irish boy grinned “here, look how clear and inviting the water is… look ! It’s begging you to take your shirt off and jump in, Jack” “Don’t be foolish, Charles, it must be very cold at this time of the year !” “And so ? A little cold water won’t kill me…” “Yeah well, the water won’t but Mr.Bush surely will if you catch a cold and render yourself unfit for duty!” Hammond reasoned, trying to pull his friend from the water.

Grinning, Charles stood and put his hands on his hips.

“What a wet blanket you are, Mr.Hammond” he challenged “I dare you to come, now. And I really don’t care about what Mr.Bush’ll think of us tomorrow”

“Don’t be childish, Charles”

With that, Jack turned away. He was ready to leave, not caring if he got lost in the middle of nowhere when he heard a loud splashing sound, quickly followed by a startled yelp and an important amount of swearing.

“Holly fuck” Charles groaned “it’s freezing”

“Told you so…” Jack grinned, watching as Charles brushed soaked strands of auburn hair away from his face. “Yeah, well, shut up…”

Sighing softly, Jack made his way towards the spot where Charles had left his belongings and sat down to watch him play in the water. A fond smile stretched his lips at the sight of the other young man, his arms tightly wrapped around himself, a deep frown on his handsome face.

“C’mon, Jack” he said approaching him “I’m cold, c’mere” “No, Charles, I’m not getting in.” “Pretty please” Orrock insisted, his eyes shiny and pleading. “No way…” Jack smiled down at him

Sighing loudly, tried one last trick.

“Okay… just… hand my shoes, will you ?”

Shaking his head, Jack stood up and made his was towards the edge before handing the shoes. But it was already too late when he noticed the wide grin Orrock shot him.

“Don’t you dare !” “Too late !”

Startled as he felt himself being pulled to the other man, Jack let out a little whinny yelp. He hit the cold water with a groan and grasped Orrock’s shoulders in his hands, a panicked look in his eyes.

“I can’t swim, Charles ! I’m going to drown !” he moaned “Hey, calm down, I’m here… c’mere, Jack, hold onto me” Orrock smiled a reassuring smile and wrapped a strong arm around the thinner boy’s waist to pull him close. “Shhhh, it’s okay, relax. You’ll be alright”

Breathing hard and fast, Jack pressed himself against him, burying his face in the crook of the other’s neck.

“Besides…” Orrock added with a chuckle “the water is hardly deep enough for you to drown. Here, stretch your legs and you’ll touch the bottom with your feet.” “My legs are shorter than yours, Charles !” “Oh yeah, well… not that much.” The Irish smiled, brushing his feet with Jack’s “Here, c’mon.”

Pulling Jack closer, Charles gently led them to the middle of the pool, never taking his arm from the other’s waist.

“Here, feels good after a while” he breathed looking at Jack “A little less cold… you okay ?” “Y-yes… alright… feels strange, floating like that.” The young brunette whispered against his shoulder. “I’m soaked through” “You’ll dry” “Not if I stay in the water…”

The following minutes were spent in relatively companionable silence. Jack calmed down a little and let himself be held in the water. After a while, Charles started humming softly what sounded like “Ireland’s call”.

“My uncle used to hum this too” “Isn’t your uncle Irish ?” “He is, indeed…”

Grinning Orrock reached out and ruffled his friend’s hair. “Just knew there had to be some Irish blood in there”

Some time later, Jack started shivering and, looking up, saw that the moon was gradually disappearing behind the trees.

“Charles… I’m cold…” he whined “Oh ? Here you come, boy… wouldn’t want you to catch a cold” the Irishman hissed as he strongly pulled his friend towards the edge and helped him out.

Once seated in the grass, Jack started shaking, wrapping his arms around himself, he tried to warm himself up without success. But then, Charles gently unbuttoned his shirt and spread it on a rock before wrapping his own, dry jacket around him and cradling him into his arms.

“Shhh…I’m sorry ‘bout that… didn’t think you’d be that cold” “No, it’s okay… It was… quite amazing in fact. And this place… it’s wonderful, really, I… thank you, Charles. I’d never seen something this beautiful.”

Those amazingly strong arms pulled him even closer and he found himself sitting on the other man’s laps, his own, thinner arms, tightly wrapped around Charles’ chest.

“You’re the first person I ever brought here” Orrock sighed, his warm breath brushing a few strands of dark brown hair. “feels right to have someone to share, though”

His hands roaming over Hammonds back, he started humming again, softly, against the other’s temple, his voice strong, vibrating, sending shivers down his spine. Sighing in delight, young Jack Hammond snuggled a little closer to his friend, feeling the older boy’s soft warm skin under his palms, his cheek, breathing in that almost familiar scent, both rich and delicate, reassuring and intoxicating. He felt warm in all the right places, now, especially in his chest, in his heart, which had been aching for the young Irishman’s attention since their very first meeting. And he knew, yes, he knew he needed to calm down, needed to control both himself and his feelings towards the other man.

What would Mr.Orrock think ?

What would Mr.Orrock do ?

But for now, he could nothing but lay there, in that warm embrace, memorizing each detail, each little thing, both about this marvellous place and the marvellous man cradling him in those marvellously strong arms of his. Delightful, Jack sighed again.

“Wary ?” Charles asked suddenly, pulling back to look into his eyes. “You must be tired, we should get you back in town, find you a bed for the night.”

Jack was about to tell him he was okay, about to snuggle back into him, but he knew this would seem awkward. He wasn’t cold anymore, that much was quite obvious. So he let Charles pull him up and help him put his shirt and his jacket back on, even though they were both still wet and cold. Young Orrock then dressed himself and led them back to the clearing, protectively wrapping his arm around his younger mate’s shoulder.

“We’ll find you a room somewhere. It’s been quite a while since you last slept in a bed” Charles smiled as they finally reached the first little house. “Where will you sleep?” Jack asked him suddenly. “I dunno… Suppose I’ll have to find myself a room too” “Why don’t you take a room with me? I mean… it’ll be cheaper this way, we could both save some money.” “Like you need it, Jack” “I was just trying to be kind…” “Why ? Pitying me ‘cause I’m no son of a lord ?” the Irishman spat.

Stopping in the middle of the street, Jack glared at him.

“And here I thought you could be more than a cold hearted bastard…” he hissed

Closing his eyes, Charles ran his hand through his hair and sighed again.

“C’mon, I’m sorry. Let’s get you to bed, Jack.” “I’m no child, Mr.Orrock.” “Please, Jack, not now… just… not now, I’m sorry, okay, I didn’t mean to say that and I apologize. Let’s go…”

Silent, Jack let himself be led through the street and into a small tavern which offered some rooms upstairs. Charles took a room for him but when he asked for another one, the waitress told him it was the last empty one. “You’ll have to share” she said “But don’t worry, the bed is big enough for the both of you, boys” Swallowing nervously, Charles paid for the room and dragged the English boy up the stairs and into the room before closing the door behind them.

“You can have the bed, I’ll take the chair” he said.

But Hammond was having nothing of that. He calmly took his wet jacket and shirt off and threw them on said chair before removing his boots and socks and disposing them at it’s feet. Biting his lower lip, Orrock, stared at him.

“Get ready for bed, Mr.Orrock.” Jack ordered. “Jack…”

Charles needed no more than a few steps to cross the gap separating them. He slowly made his way towards him and took the younger midshipman’s face in his palms, his intense gaze burning into his clear blue eyes.

“Charles, what…”

But before he could say anything, Charles put a finger to his lips, silencing him. His hair was still humid and his eyes had that sleepy look about them, his strong jaw was tensed and his lips parted. He had that strange glint in his eyes. Confusion, fear, frustration, indecision… longing. Visibly nervous about what he had to say, Orrock licked his lips and dropped his gaze to the floor. He didn’t look that strong anymore; he just looked like a lost little boy, trying to put his emotions into words.

“Jack…” he repeated slowly, as if painfully.

He then looked up, that strong determination back in his eyes; wearing the same look he wore on the battlefield.

“Hate me if you might but I must do this…” he said firmly, trying to convince himself… and succeeding.

He then carefully leaned him, put his hands on Jack’s shoulders and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss. Frozen, Hammond kept his eyes wide open through the kiss, watching, mesmerized, as the older man kept his tightly shut. And then, it hit him :

Charles Orrock

Was

Kissing Him…

Woow…

But before he could even consider answering that kiss, Orrock pulled back, his face flushed, his eyes down, obviously mistaking his indecision for disgust.

“W-well… it’s done.” He said firmly, straightening his clothes before he turned around, ready to leave. “I should go…”

“No!” Jack yelped, almost jumping on him. “I mean… I… no, please don’t.”

Confused, Orrock carefully turned around to look at him, his face pale and tense, his eyes brimming and pleading.

“Charles…please, stay.”

The soft whisper had him almost whimpering with joy. He closed his eyes again and swallowed back his tears. Running a hand through his hair, he sat down on the edge of the bed and released the breath he hadn’t known he had been holding. He then felt a gentle pair of arms being wrapped around his chest and realised it was Jack, kneeling behind him on the bed with his face pressed between his shoulder blades. Charles exhaled softly and spun around and seized that adorably childish face between his hands before locking their lips together in another kiss. But this time, Jack quickly started answering it, pressing his lips harder against Charles’ and putting his hands flat on his back, pulling him close. The kiss was slow and tentative, ever so chaste. But then, Orrock’s lips parted slightly, allowing a little bit of tongue outside and he gently probed at the entrance of Jack’s mouth. A low moan escaped the dark-haired young man as he eagerly let Charles’s tongue slip in his mouth, reverently caressing it with his. They stayed like this for some time before they broke apart, in need for air.

Obviously pleased by this turned of events, Charles seemed to have regained both his wits and his usual boldness. “If I’d known you’d be so eager I’d have kissed you hours ago” he grinned. “I wish you had…” Jack smiled sweetly, brushing his fingertips over both sides of that beloved Irish face. “I had never wanted a kiss so badly… and still, never had I stole such a good one.”

“Well, I’d never been kissed before…” Hammond blushed slightly. “It’s an honour, then, sir…” young Mr.Orrock breathed, taking one of Jack’s pale hands in his and putting it to his mouth for a kiss. “I’m flattered”

Chuckling softly, Jack pulled his hand free and pressed his lips to Charles’ forehead. “We should try to get some sleep…” he whispered, laying down on the bed but never taking his eyes off Charles’. “As you please, sir” the other man mocked, taking his jacket and his waist-coat off before putting them on the chair with Jack’s things. “As you please”

He then silently leaned in to wrap his arms around the smaller man’s frame and lovingly kissed his soft, red mouth. “Can I… ?” he asked, fingering the tie in Hammond’s hair. “Yes.” Smiling adoringly, Orrock carefully removed the tie, freeing Jack’s beautiful curly dark-brown hair, and pulled that lovely, warm body to him, burying his face in the mass of soft strands.

“You said I was a cold-hearted bastard… but you make me feel so warm, Jack…”

But no answer came, because young Jack Hammond was sound asleep.

“I swear to god, I’ll protect you, Jack… I will…”

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
